Materialism Quote by Benjamin R. Smith
““Some people, when there’s a threat of everything they have being ripped away at a moments notice, they place value on the things they can keep with them, or find anywhere, so they can say ‘these are my things, nobody else can touch them.’ ””
About This Quote
When faced with existential threat, people cling to personal possessions as a way to assert control and identity.
In simple terms: Threat makes people value personal belongings.
Key Takeaway
Ownership becomes a defense against loss.
Themes
psychology
security
identity
loss
Mood
anxious
introspective
Type
observation
reflection
When to use this quote
- natural disasters
- financial crises
- personal health emergencies
Key Concepts
attachment theory
self‑preservation
Practical Applications
- mindful decluttering
- building emotional resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- What does possession reveal about self‑worth?
- How can one maintain identity without material reliance?
A Different Perspective
Over‑attachment can hinder adaptability and lead to materialism.
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
![“If we do want to do that [ colonise space to survive, ], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c5/quentin-s-crisp-4149_enough_if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space_40648.jpg)
![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)